RTÉ is keen to entice former Today FM presenter Dermot Whelan out of radio retirement and bring him into Montrose as part of a major Radio 1 revamp, sources said this weekend.
Whelan, of Dermot and Dave fame, filled in for Oliver Callan in the past few weeks, and duly impressed.
His mooted move is part of a 'seismic shake-up' at the station, with imminent changes understood to be leaving some long-serving presenters 'jittery'.
An RTÉ source said new station boss Patricia Monaghan wants to 'breathe new life' into Radio 1.
'The reality is there's a new sheriff in town,' the source told the Irish Mail on Sunday. 'Patricia has come over from Newstalk and she has brought with her that independent station mindset of change and adapt.' Attracting a younger audience is said to be top of Ms Monaghan's mission.
The source said: 'It's kind of understood that the average Radio 1 listener is middle-aged. But the reality is that the demographic with a lot of disposable income is 35 upwards, who have good jobs but work irregular hours or from home.
'Before Covid, most professionals would be in the office nine to five, but that's simply not the case now. Many are at home, and they invariably have the radio on in the background.'
They added: 'Are some people worried? Probably. Nobody's slot is safe, except perhaps for Oliver Callan. They adore Oliver.'
